The United Kingdom has begun the formal process to withdraw from the European Union. The European Parliament has identified its red line issues for the negotiations. They include putting citizens' interests first and the UK honouring its commitments to the EU budget. This video provides insight into the Parliament's priorities.

Transcript:

The European Parliament will need to approve any agreement regarding the UK's withdrawal from the EU. When voting, members will check if the Parliament's red lines have been respected: Citizens' interests must come first The negotiations should be conducted in good faith and full transparency There can be no trade-off between security and the future economic relationship The peace process must continue in Northern Ireland and a hard border with the Republic of Ireland avoided The UK must honour all obligations it has committed to, including those related to the budget The outlines of the future EU-UK relationship can only be discussed once substantial progress has been made on talks on how the UK will leave No cherry-picking: membership of the single market is only possible with free movement of goods, capital, services and people There can be no separate negotiations with individual EU countries or non-EU countries Members adopted the Parliament's priorities for the start of the negotiations with an overwhelming majority: 516 out of 751

Newsletter

Related videos

In the year’s final plenary session, the European Parliament awards the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, discusses the progress of Brexit negotiations, and votes on the extension of the European Fund for Strategic Investment (EFSI). Also on the cards is a vote on recommendations for countering money laundering, and a vote on whether to allow phosphates in kebab meat.

Committees of the European Parliament are meeting to discuss youth employment in the EU, measures to control the flow of cash, the humanitarian situation in Libya, women and climate change and an EU wide disability strategy.

The European Parliament is calling for a gradual phase out of glyphosate, a substance found in common weedkillers and widely used by households and in agriculture. MEPs want a rethink of the farming model to include alternatives such as integrated pest management.

Parliament is voting on a number of measures to promote the use of renewable energy throughout the European Union and to implement a wide-ranging disability strategy. Up for discussion are the use of phosphates in kebab meat, and next year’s budget.